On sticky wicket after the Bharatiya Janata Party published purported WhatsApp chats of an alleged spat between MPs of the Trinamool Congress, the party has said that it should "never have happened" and that every party should "maintain internal privacy".
The reaction by senior party leader Sougata Roy came hours after BJP leader Amit Malviya posted screenshots of WhatsApp chats he claimed were from the conversation between TMC MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Kirti Azad who had an ugly spat a day ago at the headquarters of the Election Commission of India.
Also Read: BJP shares screenshots of alleged spat between top Trinamool Congress MPs: 'Who is versatile international lady?'
The chats purportedly between the two leaders appeared to show the two TMC leaders squabbling over factionalism within the ruling party in West Bengal. The purported conversations between the two leaders also had a reference to the "beautiful activities of (a) versatile international lady" who is also believed to be a party MP.
Responding to the leaked chats, Sougata Roy said, "The screenshots which have been published have put us to shame and embarrassment. This should not have happened..."
"Every party should maintain internal privacy," he said, and urged party chief and Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to act.
As per the post shared by Malviya, Banerjee and Azad were squabbling a day after they visited the ECI office to submit a memorandum on behalf of the party on April 4, 2024.
"It appears the party had instructed its MPs to gather at the Parliament office to sign the memorandum before proceeding to the EC. However, the MP carrying the memorandum skipped the Parliament meeting and went directly to the EC.
"This angered another MP, who confronted him when they came face to face at the Commission. A heated exchange followed, with the two shouting at each other — so much so that one of them asked the police personnel present to intervene," Malviya said. The leader also shared videos of the said altercation between the two leaders.
According to Malviya, the feud later spilled over on to the ‘AITC MP 2024’ WhatsApp group, "where warring camps took sides and traded barbs". The chats seemed to show Banerjee congratulating the "gentleman who opened the beautiful activities of versatile international lady", declaring, "Not a single boyfriend stood with her".
He also took potshots at Azad, a former cricketer who quit the BJP and joined Trinamool ahead of the general elections, saying, ".. you (Azad) were thrown out of BJP for doing internal politics... you are still captain of internal politics."
"This is the stuff legends are made of..." Malviya said in his post and also said that the mystery over the "versatile international lady" was for the world to unravel.
The videos shared by Malviya purportedly feature Banerjee, a four-time Lok Sabha MP, and Derek O'Brien, the Trinamool's Rajya Sabha leader besides at least four women MPs.
In one section of the video, Banerjee appears to be heard claiming he does not owe his position as a Trinamool MP either to any 'quota' or because he had joined from a rival political outfit.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
